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A Call to Arms is the fifth of six Babylon 5 TV movies. It is set in the year 2266, five years after the founding of the Interstellar Alliance. The TV movie serves as a pilot to the short lived spin-off series Crusade.

Michael Garibaldi meets ISA president John Sheridan aboard a White Star. Unknown to them, their ship is followed by a probe, which sends images to a mysterious figure named Galen. The two of them proceed to a space dock where two prototype destroyers are being built using a combination of Human, Minbari and Vorlon technology. They then board one of the vessels, the Excalibur. During a tour of the bridge President Sheridan receives a message through StellarCom supposedly from ISA Vice President Delenn; however the message is just gibberish and Sheridan is in a catatonic-like state staring at the monitor for twenty-five minutes.

Meanwhile, on Babylon 5, Dureena Nafeel is stopped at security for weapons violations and must surrender all weapons she is carrying after which she proceeds to Downbelow.

As President Sheridan sleeps, the Techno-mage Galen appears. They stand together on the surface of a dead world, and Galen claims the planet was destroyed in a weapons test. Galen reveals that the message purportedly from Delenn was actually from him. Then the alien race which destroyed the planet returns and so Galen leaves, and as he does the phrase "Daltron 7" can be seen in the dirt, at which point Sheridan wakes up on the Excalibur.

In Downbelow, Nafeel attempts to locate fellow members of the Thieves Guild. However, she is knocked unconscious by a man. Nafeel then wakes up on the same dead planet that Galen and Sheridan were on. An image of Sheridan then appears, Nafeel then lunges at him however he disappears and a Drakh shows up, and then shortly afterwards disappears also. Galen then appears and proclaims "This is not your world, Dureena Nafeel, but it shares the same fate. When the time comes be sure to pick the right target for you will only get one shot".

Excalibur firing its main weapon

Nafeel then awakes in Downbelow in chains surrounded by members of the Thieves Guild. Nafeel then breaks the chains and attacks the man who knocked her out she is then welcomed by the leader of the Guild.

On the Excalibur a weapons test is under way, the Excalibur carries a Level 1 and a Level 2 weapons system. Level 1 has the same level of firepower as a White Star's main gun. However, Level 2 is a large cannon based on a Vorlon design, and it was intended for ships far more advanced than the Excalibur and as such firing the main guns drains the ships power for one minute.

Sheridan now appears on another planet, which is where the Techno-Mages are. Galen is being criticized by his colleagues for bringing Sheridan there and is warned that if his actions in helping Sheridan compromises their hiding place he will die. Galen reveals that his order fled to this hiding place to avoid the carnage of the Shadow War. Galen then Conjures up an image of Z'Ha'Dum and asks Sheridan if he recognizes it, Sheridan says he does. Galen now informs Sheridan that the Drakh are on the move testing their resources, power, weapons and destructive ability. Galen informs Sheridan that he must find out how much firepower the Drakh have as he believes that they will start their war by attacking Earth. Galen also reveals that he has done all he can and Sheridan must find the answers on his own, and not to tell anyone what he is doing or why, an if he doesn't act that Earth may suffer the fate of Daltron 7. Sheridan then re-appears on the Excalibur and tells Garibaldi they must leave on the Whitestar immediately for Babylon 5.

Sheridan, Anderson and Nafeel discuss the Drakh on Babylon 5

On Babylon 5, Sheridan meets with Nafeel and an Earthforce Captain, Leonard Anderson; during the meeting Nafeel attacks Sheridan. Where it is revealed that Nafeel's planet was destroyed by the Shadows during the war and she blames him because he didn't come to the aid of her people during the war. Sheridan convinces Nafeel that the Drakh are responsible and not him and both Nafeel and Captain Anderson agree to help.

Nafeel, Captain Anderson and Sheridan leave on Anderson's ship, the EAS Charon, en route to the docks. Sheridan contacts the leader of the construction operation, Mr. Drake, and tells him to not accept any orders from anyone other than him. Sheridan, Nafeel, and half of Captain Anderson's crew board the Excalibur and take control. While Captain Anderson and the remainder of his crew board and take over the other ship, the Victory. Both ship the get under way to Daltron 7. When they arrive they find that a Shadow Planet Killer has destroyed the planet. However, they pick up a Drazi distress signal and Sheridan, Nafeel and Anderson proceed down to the planet’s surface. They find the Drazi dead. A detailed surface analysis shows that the attack occurred only a few weeks ago, meaning that the Drakh have located one of the Shadow Planet Killers which were left behind by the Shadows. Nafeel locates a data crystal in a flap under the Drazi's arm.

On the data crystal, the Drazi reveals that the dreams told him to come here and when he arrived the planet killer was there and that the Drakh were with it. He followed them as far as he could but returned to Daltron 7 to find any survivors after the Drakh ship met up with reinforcements. The Victory then contacts the Excalibur and tells them that a number of Drakh ships are approaching. The Drakh scan the 2 ships and then attempt to communicate with the Excalibur in which they ask the Excalibur to identify themselves. A signal is then sent to the Drakh ships. The Victory and Excalibur then engage the Drakh in combat. The Drakh then flee and the Excalibur pursues where it finds hundreds of Drakh vessels, they pursue the Excalibur and Victory however both ships are able to escape into hyperspace.

The Drakh Release the Plague into Earths Atmosphere

Where they head for Earth at maximum speed. Sheridan contacts Captain Elizabeth Lochley on Babylon 5 to mobilize a fleet to defend Earth. Sheridan then contacts Garibaldi where they deduce that Mr. Drake is an agent of the Drakh and that he sent the communication to them just before the battle between the Drakh, the Victory and the Excalibur. Garibaldi discovers that the Drakh have only one Planet Killer. Then the Victory and the Excalibur drop out of hyperspace around Earth.

A large fleet is assembled around Earth, at which point a number of Drakh vessels drop out of hyperspace. A large battle ensues during which the captain of the Victory sacrifices the ship to destroy the Planet Killer and save Earth. However the remaining Drakh vessels release a biogenetic plague, which was engineered by the Shadows, into Earth’s atmosphere that will destroy all life on Earth inside of five years. President Sheridan determines that a cure must be out there, so he assigns the Excalibur to finding a cure.